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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”